Written by new-contact on Nov 14, 2011. Posted in On Location

Producer Kathleen Kennedy discusses filming in Virginia for Spielberg’s Lincoln

Steven Spielberg’s long-time producer Kathleen Kennedy has offered some comments about the appeal of Virginia as a filming location for the director’s new feature, Lincoln. The project’s filming in Richmond and Petersburg, and the state is likely to benefit to the tune of around USD35 million.

Kennedy told a Richmond press conference: “There have been movies like this made in the past where people have actually gone outside the United States. I've always found it disturbing that they're telling Civil War stories outside of the United States."

Shooting a movie like Lincoln, we have a period setting and so many things that we have to get right in terms of what it looked like at the time. I think Richmond offers us all those opportunities.

Kathleen Kennedy, Producer

There are around 500 cast and crew directly involved with the shoot and many of them will be living in Virginia for up to seven months as the project progresses. Chris Dodd, Chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, joined Kennedy and said that more than 1,000 small businesses are being directly employed by the shoot.

Kennedy added: "Shooting a movie like Lincoln, we have a period setting and so many things that we have to get right in terms of what it looked like at the time. I think Richmond offers us all those opportunities."

Lincoln stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the Civil War President and is set in the final months of the leader’s life. The production is receiving more than USD3.5 million in incentive support from the State of Virginia.